Horse arena finish with just a rear blade?

[hammick]

Bought a lightly used Land Pride RBT3584 yesterday and did some work with it behind my LS MT357HC (57 hp hydro). Never used a rear blade before but this thing is a cutting beast. It has all three cylinders (tilt, angle and offset). It does not have the side plates, skid shoes or tail wheel.

Years ago I had a cheap box blade that I eventually broke getting too aggressive with the scarifiers. Before I broke it I could get the fire perimeter around our place looking pretty good. Not sure I will be able to get the horse arena look with only my rear blade. I have almost zero experience with a my new blade but it just doesn't seem to deposit the dirt like a box blade.

If I add the optional side plates and tail wheel to my RBT3584 can I get that horse arena look or should I be shopping for another box blade? I'm guessing removing the blade with three sets of hydraulics will get old pretty fast. If I can get the look I want with just the rear blade I'd prefer to go that route.

Thanks for any advice and looking forward to seeing some photos from you guys that have tail wheels and side plates on your blades.

This is what I accomplished years ago with my box blade:

 

[jyoutz]

Bought a lightly used Land Pride RBT3584 yesterday and did some work with it behind my LS MT357HC (57 hp hydro). Never used a rear blade before but this thing is a cutting beast. It has all three cylinders (tilt, angle and offset). It does not have the side plates, skid shoes or tail wheel.

Years ago I had a cheap box blade that I eventually broke getting too aggressive with the scarifiers. Before I broke it I could get the fire perimeter around our place looking pretty good. Not sure I will be able to get the horse arena look with only my rear blade. I have almost zero experience with a my new blade but it just doesn't seem to deposit the dirt like a box blade.

If I add the optional side plates and tail wheel to my RBT3584 can I get that horse arena look or should I be shopping for another box blade? I'm guessing removing the blade with three sets of hydraulics will get old pretty fast. If I can get the look I want with just the rear blade I'd prefer to go that route.

Thanks for any advice and looking forward to seeing some photos from you guys that have tail wheels and side plates on your blades.

View attachment 881209

This is what I accomplished years ago with my box blade:

View attachment 881213

View attachment 881214

The side plates do allow a rear blade to move dirt more like a box blade. IDK if it will meet your expectations. That’s a nice blade you have. I have the same size blade with similar functions made by Bison. Personally for my uses, a well equipped rear blade is better than a box blade and is more versatile. Something you can try if you’re just smoothing loose dirt is to rotate the moldboard 180 degrees so the cutting edge is facing backwards. I do this often for final smoothing or to plow snow on a gravel road that’s not yet frozen.

 

[hammick]

The side plates do allow a rear blade to move dirt more like a box blade. IDK if it will meet your expectations. That’s a nice blade you have. I have the same size blade with similar functions made by Bison. Personally for my uses, a well equipped rear blade is better than a box blade and is more versatile. Something you can try if you’re just smoothing loose dirt is to rotate the moldboard 180 degrees so the cutting edge is facing backwards. I do this often for final smoothing or to plow snow on a gravel road that’s not yet frozen.

Thanks. I'll give the reverse trick a try. I was looking hard at the Bison blades new until I found my lightly used LP blade. Guy traded in a Kubota and the blade with only 24 hours on the tractor. Go figure.

 

[RjCorazza]

That is a nice heavy duty blade. I think you'll find that adding a tail wheel will allow for a very smooth finish. I had gauge wheels on a 7' rake, and it made all the difference in getting a smooth finish.

 

[hammick]

That is a nice heavy duty blade. I think you'll find that adding a tail wheel will allow for a very smooth finish. I had gauge wheels on a 7' rake, and it made all the difference in getting a smooth finish.

Thanks. Do you feel hydraulic is necessary for the tail wheel? Land Pride has both manual and hydro options. I'm out of remotes but could swap the offset for the tail hydro when needed. I'm sure the hydro version cost a fortune.

 

[hammick]

Just realized the draft control on my 3 point is not active. Apparently there is lever on the 3 point that needs to be moved. I'm going to get some seat time with this blade before I start ordering accessories. Thanks for all the advice.

 

[oosik]

I've used a rear blade on my driveway for 44 years. The problem - a rear blade just isn't a road grader. Even with my hydraulic top link - it just does not make things perfect. It's a HD - 1000# - Rhino rear blade.

Five years ago I bought a Land Pride - land plane grading scraper. It's a real joy to use on my driveway. Driveway is a mile long - gravel. It makes the driveway as smooth as a pool table.

As I see it - you have three choices. Each is an increase in price.

1) reverse the rear blade and just drag it. Round and round you go. It will end up smooth.
2) get a rear/tail wheel for your rear blade. It will help but it still isn't a road grader.
3) get a land plane grading scraper. It should do even better than a reversed rear blade.

If it were me - I'd first reverse that rear blade and see if it doesn't do a good job for you.

 

[scootr]

That is a nice heavy duty blade. I think you'll find that adding a tail wheel will allow for a very smooth finish. I had gauge wheels on a 7' rake, and it made all the difference in getting a smooth finish.

Problem with gauge wheels in riding arenas is the footing tends to be soft allowing the wheels to sink and blade too. A box scraper works well for this task.

 

[WranglerX]

Would think a "harrow" after blading would be final finish.... I use a section of old chain link fence drug behind tractor to get best results....

 

[RjCorazza]

Thanks. Do you feel hydraulic is necessary for the tail wheel? Land Pride has both manual and hydro. I'm out of remotes but could swap the offset for the tail hydro when needed. I'm sure the hydro version cost a fortune.

I rarely changed the gauge wheel height on the rake when smoothing out my previous gravel driveway, which was it's primary use.

 

[JimRB]

They use these at the horse show grounds near me. Arena Harrow - Northstar Attachments

 

[KenBike]

ABI makes nice horse arena grading equipment. Just smoothing out the surface does not prepare the arena well. Need to breakup the arenas surface down a few inches and fill in horse hoof divits.
We pull an

ABI ARENA RASCAL PRO​

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Maybe the OP can confirm that he is not actually working a "horse arena" but wants his grading to have the smooth top finish.
I don't think that he has an actual horse arena from looking at his pictures. He just wants his grading to look as if it was?

 

[MH8675309]

we use a small chain harrow for ours. It can be pulled behind a zero turn or a four wheeler

 

[WM75Guy]

I have used my arena drag to smooth out dirt when filling in around the stables and pastures. It does OK. The rear blade does build up some dirt when dragging but you have no real control over how much is released. For that smooth finished look I use a 4'X4' chain harrow behind the Mule.

 

[Cycledude]

My Bison rear blade weighs 1,400 pounds without the hydraulic cylinders. If the ground is dry it works excellent for leveling, a few days ago I leveled some ruts in the bottom of one of my field ditches and it turned out beautiful ! I really should have taken some pictures.

 

[hammick]

Maybe the OP can confirm that he is not actually working a "horse arena" but wants his grading to have the smooth top finish.
I don't think that he has an actual horse arena from looking at his pictures. He just wants his grading to look as if it was?

Correct and I apologize for the misleading title. I don't have a horse arena or a horse. Just trying to get the look that was easy with my box blade. The photos above were in the Fall when the ground wasn't baked dry by the summer sun. I'm certain I can get a good grade with my blade by adding the shoes and maybe the side panels.

I have about 4 hours of rear blade experience at this point so I have a lot to learn. I am amazed how much this blade will cut and size of the rocks that it has extracted so far.

 

[nyone]

Would think a "harrow" after blading would be final finish.... I use a section of old chain link fence drug behind tractor to get best results....

This is what I would start with. A blade would just be to aggressive to me. I the other other thing I would try would be a landscape rake.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

If you want really smooth, make your blade towable and with a really long tongue. Then add an axle to the rear.

This is a 3-way blade I had left over and everything is bolted or pinned to the original blade so it could still be used as a normal 3-point blade.

Since the offset function isn't needed, that cylinder now works the axle. Anyway, the long tongue is what makes it work so well.

 

[scootr]

If you want really smooth, make your blade towable and with a really long tongue. Then add an axle to the rear.

This is a 3-way blade I had left over and everything is bolted or pinned to the original blade so it could still be used as a normal 3-point blade.

Since the offset function isn't needed, that cylinder now works the axle. Anyway, the long tongue is what makes it work so well.View attachment 882456View attachment 882457

Nice looking rig! I want one of those for my road. Been watching the sales for yrs.